Ohio House of Representatives

  • State Senator Kirk Schuring of Ohio told 1480 WHBC-AM that the state has established a committee to fine-tune SB 176, a bill legalizing and regulating the sports betting industry.
  • Sen. Schuring says the committee will convene several times in the coming weeks and expects a floor vote by the end of October.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A legal and regulated sports betting industry is one step closer to becoming a reality in Ohio, according to State Senator Kirk Schuring.

Sen. Schuring, Chairman of the Select Committee On Gaming, told a local radio station (1480 WHBC-AM) last week that a conference committee composed of three Senators and three House Representatives has been established to reconcile differences between the House and Senate’s versions of the state’s sports betting bill. The committee is expected to use the version of the bill that passed in the Senate in June, SB 176 as the foundation for the committee’s measure.

He also said that the committee plans on convening several times within the next few weeks in order to fine-tune the bill to present it to the Senate and House. He expects a floor vote in both chambers by the end of the month.

If the bill is voted on and passed by the end of October, it would then be sent to Governor Mike DeWine’s desk for his signature – it is assumed he will sign off on the bill after he has gone on record as a vocal proponent of legalizing and regulating the sports betting industry in Ohio. If all goes as expected, Sen. Schuring says the legalized and regulated sports betting market in the Buckeye State could be launched by April 2022.

Ohio Sports Betting Bill Points

Sen. Schuring also laid out the plan for the licensing structure of the regulated sports gaming industry, based on the bill that was passed by the Senate:

Class A licenses would be for mobile applications and sportsbooks, of which Schuring says there will be 40 licenses issued.

Class B licenses would be for brick-and-mortar establishments that would offer their own sportsbooks. These licenses would be based on county populations, and would be restricted to “Topgolf-type quality businesses”.

Class C licenses would be for kiosks in locations that already hold a liquor license.

If all goes as planned, Ohio may be one of the states to launch a legal and regulated sports betting industry in 2022.

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